Inclusive conservation – conservation that acknowledges and supports the rights, needs, visions, voices, and leadership of local populations and communities in the protection and management of nature – is key to achieving positive outcomes for both biodiversity and people. Indeed, those working toward global conservation goals broadly recognize the need to embrace inclusive conservation.

In recent years, conservation organizations have made concerted efforts to promote equitable governance, adopt human rights-based approaches, and advance Indigenous Peoples and local community-led conservation. This work requires integrating insights into diverse community perspectives, cultural values, knowledge systems, and local approaches to conservation. Even with these efforts, there are still substantive knowledge and capacity gaps in how to move inclusive conservation forward.

Bridging the theoretical with the practical, this seminar series will help the broader conservation community advance its inclusive conservation efforts and provide insights from science for policy and practice. Topics will include human rights, gender, human well-being, governance, Indigenous-led conservation, culture, and inclusive conservation science.

Speakers:

• Gabby Ahmadia, World Wildlife Fund
• Asha De Vos, OceanSwell
• Anne Salomon, Simon Fraser University
• Philile Mbatha, University of Cape Town, One Ocean Hub